King will appear in public

Posted by hasekamp on 24 November 2012
at 14:11 PM
As we announced before, His Majesty the King will grant a public audience on his birthday this year. Well-wishers can gather at the Royal Plaza to get a glimpse of the monarch, who turns 85 on December 5. He is scheduled to appear on the balcony of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall at 10.30am that day. Prime Minister's Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal yesterday urged everyone to wear yellow during His Majesty's audience. Yellow is the colour associated with Monday, the day the King was born. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Nurses threaten with strike

Posted by hasekamp on 24 November 2012
at 14:09 PM
Some 17,000 nurses across the country will strike work in January if their demand that they be employed as civil-service workers are not met, a nurses' network announced yesterday. The 17,000 nurses, who have long been employed as contract workers, are demanding that they be employed permanently by the Public Health Ministry by January. Their campaign is supported by fellow nurses. A petition bearing 32,874 signatures calls for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to take action. Speaking yesterday at a Bangkok seminar, the Nurses' Association of Thailand also repeated other demands: designation of long-term nurses' positions; reserve retirees' job vacancies for only newly graduated nurses; official recognition of nurses on the same level as doctors and dentists; and permission to work overseas when the Asean Economic Community takes effect in 2015. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Four wounded, 132 arrested

Posted by hasekamp on 24 November 2012
at 14:06 PM
Police have arrested 132 protesters gathering at Makawanrangsan Bridge after firing tear gas at them. Four protesters were reportedly injured from the tear gas. (Source: The nation)

Category: Default

Countries warned for demonstration

Posted by hasekamp on 24 November 2012
at 14:04 PM
The Foreign Ministry announced that 18 countries have issued warning for their citizens not to enter the three Bangkok districts which were under the enforcement of the Internal Security Act for the demonstration this week (see former message). The countries include the United Sates, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and Australia. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Teargas during demonstration

Posted by hasekamp on 24 November 2012
at 14:01 PM
Pitak Siam leader Boonlert Kaewprasit ended his anti-government rally and his own brief political career on a drizzly Saturday afternoon after a day of high drama and scattered violence. Addressing an estimated 20,000 supporters from the Royal Plaza stage, he asked them to disperse peacefully. He also said he would stage no more rallies and would focus only on making merit. Others in Pitak Siam would have to decide whether the movement would continue, he added. He told his followers they should not put themselves in danger of a crackdown or retaliation. Rumours had already started that the police might move in once it grew dark. Other organisers privately acknowledged that the government had succeeded in keeping tens of thousands of potential supporters from travelling to Bangkok to join the rally. Protesters were surprised by the ferocity of the police response, which included tear gas being fired during clashes in the morning and afternoon at the Makkawan Bridge. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

Category: Default

Woman dies after lift falls

Posted by hasekamp on 21 November 2012
at 11:29 AM
A woman succumbed to severe injuries on Sunday night, in the first legally recognised death caused by a falling lift. The accident happened on Saturday at a furniture showroom in Nakhon Ratchasima.It took place at the Home Furniture Class showroom when Siripun Kaysoong-nern led two customers, including a heavily pregnant woman, up in the lift. While ascending, the lift suddenly started dropping from the fourth floor, possibly because a sling chain snapped. All three people in the elevator sustained critical injuries. Prapawarin Jaidee had a miscarriage and is under intensive care at the Maharaj Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital. The other customer, Kris Chuaychua, is stable but is still in hospital. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Drugs hauls

Posted by hasekamp on 21 November 2012
at 11:26 AM
Pol General Pongpat Pongcharoen, secretary of the Office of Narcotics Control Board, said yesterday that officials had arrested four drug dealers and seized 888,000 amphetamine tablets and three vehicles being used to deliver drugs to Chiang Rai in four separate busts.Pa Daet district police set up a checkpoint on Mae Loi-Mae Rai Road. Drug dealers saw the checkpoint and fled to Pa Lamo, where they had left a pick-up truck. Police found amphetamine tablets in a bag marked fertiliser in the truck. Wat Saewang, meanwhile, was arrested with drugs in Pong district of Phayao in a sting operation. Police known smuggling of drugs with a coach bus. They trapped to arrest drug dealer and met Wat. He had a strange box that drugs in a box so they detected him. In Chiang Rai, police from Transport Station No 2 were inspecting a bus when they noticed Iyares Seeta acting suspiciously. Iyares was found to possess amphetamine tablets and three tickets for other people. Separately, Chiang Rai police received information that a drug deal was being done at a hotel, with the drugs to be sent to Bangkok. They found and arrested Aroang Wuyee and Paka Hankam at the hotel in Muang district. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Public audience

Posted by hasekamp on 21 November 2012
at 11:22 AM
HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej will grant a public audience on his birthday this year. His well wishers can gather at the Royal Plaza to get the glimpse of their muchloved monarch as he is scheduled to appear at a balcony of the Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall at 10.30am on December 5. He will turn 85. PM's Office Minister Nivatthamrong Boonsongpaisal Wednesday urged people to wear yellow during the audience with His Majesty. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Police dummies get eyes

Posted by hasekamp on 21 November 2012
at 11:19 AM
Dummy police officers dubbed Ja Choey, or Sgt Still, now have two special cameras installed with them in an effort to deter motorists from breaking traffic laws and reduce road accidents. Pol Maj Gen Vorasak Nopsittiporn, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB), said on Tuesday that each mannequin will be equipped with a camera that has a face detection system and a closed-circuit television camera for monitoring traffic conditions. Special measures are in place to prevent the cameras from being stolen. He said the camera with a face detection system, held by Ja Choey, is able to capture faces of motorists and licence plates of vehicles. The second camera, set up next to the dummy at knee level, can immediately capture illegal lane changes. The captured images are sent to the traffic control system, using Wi-Fi technology, he said. "The cameras are now installed in ten of the dummies so far and they will be placed at areas where road accidents frequently occur, such as Ratchayothin intersection and in front of The Mall Bangkapi," Pol Maj Gen Vorasak said. The project is run by the MPB and the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec). (Source: The Bangkok Post)

Category: Default

The Obama visit

Posted by hasekamp on 19 November 2012
at 13:27 PM
President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra reaffirmed yesterday that Thailand and the United States will cooperate in talks on the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and security issues. The pledge was made at a joint press conference held last night only hours after President Obama arrived in Bangkok in the first leg of his Southeast Asian tour. The trip, which also includes stops in Myanmar and Cambodia, is aimed at reinforcing the US presence in the region. Addressing the joint press conference with Ms Yingluck, Mr Obama said the choice of Bangkok as his first foreign visit after re-election reflects Southeast Asia's rising economic prospects and Thailand's potential to play a leading role in the Asia-Pacific region. "During the past decade, we understandably have been a country which has been focused on terrorism and the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a consequence, we have not had the same kind of presence in the region that is growing and developing faster than any place in the world," Mr Obama said. He said cooperation in trade and investment would centre on TPP negotiations.Ms Yingluck said the government has agreed to begin negotiations with the US on the TPP agreement, but it would engage all stakeholders and submit it for parliamentary approval as required by the constitution.Ms Yingluck urged the international community to help Myanmar to push forward its political and economic reforms before the commencement of the AEC in 2015.Mr Obama arrived in Air Force One at the Royal Thai Airforce's airbase at Don Mueang airport about 3pm Sunday. He was received by Privy Councillor Surayud Chulanont, who represented His Majesty the King, along with Deputy Prime Minister Pongthep Thepkanchana and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, US ambassador Kristie Kenney and other high-ranking officials amid tight security.At 3.45pm, the US president visited Wat Pho temple. He was accompanied by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived in Thailand earlier in the day.At 4.53pm, Mr Obama was granted an audience with His Majesty King on the 14th floor of the Chalerm Prakiat building at Siriraj Hospital. President Barack Obama took a photo album for His Majesty the King to the audience - containing photos and details of all the US presidents His Majesty has met, dating back to Dwight Eisenhower in 1954. Mr Obama joked he had left the last page blank for the photo of this meeting. At 6pm, he met Prime Minister Yingluck at Government House. The two leaders reviewed honour guards and then held bilateral talks on a range of issues before attending a dinner reception hosted by Ms Yingluck.At 9pm, Mr Obama met the US ambassador, US embassy staff and American businessmen at a sports complex at Chulalongkorn University before he returned to the Four Seasons Hotel where he spent the night. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

Category: Default

Obama to visit Wat Pho

Posted by hasekamp on 16 November 2012
at 23:07 PM
US President Barack Obama's visit to Thailand will not focus solely on important bilateral issues, but will include a cultural element, as the president has chosen to begin his trip with a visit to Wat Pho on Sunday. The temple will be closed to tourists during his tour of the temple, which will take in four key locations - the main hall, the Reclining Buddha, the Phra Maha Chedi stupa, and the Thai traditional massage sculptures, according to the temple's deputy abbot, Phra Udornkanarak. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Russian arrrested

Posted by hasekamp on 16 November 2012
at 23:04 PM
Immigration police have arrested a 29-year-old Russian for his alleged involvement in prostitution in Russia. The arrest of Konstantin Avdoshkin on November 6 was made after Thai police received a tip-off from the Russian consulate general in Thailand, said Immigration Police commissioner Pol Lt Gen Panu Kerdlarbpon Friday. The Russians claimed that the suspect had cooperated with a Russian woman in procuring women for brothels in his country. He was alleged to have operated between 2005 and 2009 in the city of Kazan. Panu quoted the Russian side as saying that the suspect demanded a large amount of money from any women who wanted to stop working as a prostitute. If a woman refused to pay, she would be subjected to brutal assaults including beatings and electric shocks. Avdoshkin escaped to Thailand after Russian police arrested a Russian woman who was his alleged accomplice and issued an arrest warrant against him. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Government to buy almost 2 million tablets

Posted by hasekamp on 16 November 2012
at 23:02 PM
The government will purchase 1.69 million computer tablets for first graders and first-year high school students in four lots through e-auctions. Education Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana said Dr Olarn Chaiprawat has been appointed chairman of a panel tasked with writing the terms of reference for the e-auctions. He said that since the purchase involves a large number of tablets, the government had decided to hold four e-auctions to be held on the same day. Both Thai and foreign companies will be allowed to take part. "Dividing the auction into four lots will encourage more companies to bid, making the auction more competitive and enabling the government to get the lowest price," Pongthep said. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Thailand to join TTP talks

Posted by hasekamp on 16 November 2012
at 23:00 PM
Thailand's entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will be a highlight of the visit by the US president amid concern by activists over the consequences of the far-reaching free trade pact. The TPP is a proposed regional FTA being negotiated by the US and several Asia-Pacific nations, including Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Mexico and six other countries. The agreement is aimed at liberalising trade in nearly all goods and services and includes commitments beyond those currently established in the World Trade Organisation. The cabinet yesterday agreed to the proposal tabled by the Commerce Ministry to have Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra announce the pact in a joint press statement with Mr Obama, the government said on its website. The agreement would lead to fewer tariffs on Thai exports to the US and would eliminate Thailand's reliance on the America's Generalised System of Preferences. The decision was attacked by FTA Watch, a non-governmental organisation which has monitored the free trade deal. The prime minister should be considering this deal thoroughly instead of thinking only about having something to announce with the US leader, FTA Watch said. The TPP negotiations were revitalised by the US in 2010. The talks will be concluded next year. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

Category: Default

King to grant Obama audience

Posted by hasekamp on 16 November 2012
at 22:56 PM
The King, who is staying at Siriraj Hospital, has allowed a special greeting, which is scheduled to take place at 5pm before the US leader meets Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on the same day, Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said from London. He is accompanying Ms Yingluck on her official visit to the United Kingdom. In addition to meeting the King, the president's itinerary includes a joint announcement with the Thai premier on the controversial US-led regional free trade agreement known as Trans Pacific Partnership, negotiations of which Thailand has agreed to join. Mr Obama will then leave Thailand for Myanmar on Monday. There has been some confusion in Thailand and on discussion forums about Mr Obama's official function. As in any republic, he is both the head of state and the head of government of the United States. He will meet the king as US head of state, but then talk to Prime Minister Yingluck as the US head of government. Police, soldiers and security officers have been ordered to tighten up security for the president during his stay in Thailand. All venues Mr Obama will visit, including Siriraj Hospital and Government House, and the streets he will travel through will be under close watch, police chief Kamronwit Thoopkrachang said. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

Category: Default

Victory Monument gets facelift

Posted by hasekamp on 10 November 2012
at 11:38 AM
Bangkok Governor Sukhum-bhand Paribatra yesterday presided over the launch of a project that aims to bring order to the chaos around Victory Monument. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's plans for the busy public-transport hub include the installation of 28 security cameras, 33 vertical gardens, more lights, more law-enforcement booths and a multi-purpose space. The 30 existing restrooms will be demolished and replaced with 40 new facilities. All work will be completed by February 14, 2013, the governor said. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Angry father hits Krabi tourism

Posted by hasekamp on 10 November 2012
at 11:36 AM
Tourism in the seaside province of Krabi was badly affected after a video clip produced by a Dutch pop singer singing about his 19-year-old daughter's rape in the province went viral, Krabi Tourism Association president Ittirat Kinglek said yesterday.Ittirat said he had been told that many tourists had cancelled their bookings at certain five-star hotels in Krabi because they were not confident about the security. The official was referring to a video clip called "Evil Man from Krabi", in which the Dutch father sings about his daughter being raped during her birthday party at a hotel in Krabi's Ao Nang Beach. The father made this clip to campaign for justice after the tourist guide, who was arrested for reportedly raping the teenager, had been freed on bail and later retracted his confession. The clip posted on YouTube two weeks ago had been viewed 81,126 times as of press time yesterday. Meanwhile, Phuket Wan online quoted the Deputy Commander of Krabi police, Pol Colonel Jongrak Timthong, as saying the suspect had been granted bail after he denied the charges in court. "His retraction means the court could take a year or even two years to issue a verdict," Jongrak said, adding that the father was free to protest. According to the website, the birthday party had been held at a bar on Ao Nang and that the suspect had offered to take the girl back to her apartment on his motorbike. In her testimony, the victim told the police that she was being beaten so badly that she had to stop resisting in order to survive. She was treated for her injuries at Krabi Hospital before she filed a police report and returned to the Netherlands. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

PM praises reds

Posted by hasekamp on 10 November 2012
at 11:31 AM
In a speech at the Bali Democracy Forum Thursday, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra praised the red shirts for their struggle in 2010 to protect democracy, which she said had been overthrown by a military-backed coup d'etat in 2006. Thailand has experienced many coups against the will of the people, so when a government is created using democratic means, it needs to be made sustainable, she said. The best way to preserve democracy would be to empower the people to value and participate in the process of democracy, which has made it possible for an election to take place. "When people participate, they feel that they own democracy and can cherish the values. And when this democracy is overthrown or abused, people will rise up to defend it. This is what happened in Thailand in 2010," she said in a prepared speech at the forum. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Buddha and tablet

Posted by hasekamp on 10 November 2012
at 11:27 AM
With the unveiling of a Buddha statue holding a tablet computer in his hand, a temple in Surin province hopes that monks across the country will not miss its message. Ban Jabok-Ban Nong Lek temple in Chom Phra district of the northeastern province surprised worshippers on Thursday when it unveiled a picture of Phra Sivali holding an iPad at a ceremony to launch the building of the statute. Traditionally, Phra Sivali, a pose of the Buddha, carries a walking stick, an umbrella and a bowl, and is worshipped for those seeking love, luck and prosperity.Kru Palad Wisut Narisassaro, who chaired the ceremony, said the temple had no intention of upseting or offending Buddhists or Bhuddhism by breaking with tradition. The iPad-carrying statute will send a message that monks have to stay in touch with the changing world, especially the new trends in technologies. They should try to take advantage of them, he said. (Source: The Bangkok Post)

Category: Default

Bulgarians stole banking data

Posted by hasekamp on 6 November 2012
at 21:36 PM
Two Bulgarian nationals have been arrested in Phuket for allegedly trying to steal data to clone ATM cards. Stenkov Anchoha Ritonov, 33, and Tervel Dimitrov, 31, were arrested on Sunday along with an assortment of equipment used for stealing information when people use their ATM card to withdraw cash. In addition to charges of staying in the Kingdom without a visa, they were also charged with collaborating with other Bulgarians to steal electronic data in order to steal money. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

395 Police Hotspots

Posted by hasekamp on 6 November 2012
at 21:34 PM
Bangkok's 395 intersections will be equipped with wireless and modern technology for better traffic controlling, as Metropolitan Police Monday joined force with National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC), 3BB WiFi and Thai Intelligent Transport Systems Association to launch the "Smart Police" project. Three modern technologies to be at each intersection were; the Webcams to provide realtime feeds of traffic condition via wireless network to the Traffic Control and Command Center; the Video Conference via web to solve unexpected traffic problems; the Licence Plate Detection System to check for stolen vehicles. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Phuket killers to be tried separately

Posted by hasekamp on 4 November 2012
at 10:37 AM
The Phuket Provincial Court today ruled that it will hear the cases of Swedish nationals Johan Sebastian Ljung and Tommy Viktor Soderlund separately. The pair both stand charged with the premeditated murder of Maksim Schantz, collaboration in robbery and carrying a knife and an unlicensed firearm with ammunition on August 2 last year. The court made its ruling after Mr Ljung accepted the charges, but Mr Soderlund denied all the charges against him at their court hearing this week. Two witnesses testified in the court hearing. One witness testified that he was the man whose motorbike was hijacked by the two men while they were making their getaway. The man told the judge that he was out on his motorbike searching for his rabbit, which had disappeared from his house, next to the Lantern Villa project in Koh Kaew. While bent over searching for the rabbit, Mr Soderlund kicked him and knocked the motorbike over, he told the court. Mr Soderlund then grabbed the bike and took off with Mr Ljung riding pillion. Despite having seen Mr Soderlund carrying a gun and Mr Ljung carrying a knife, the witness said he attempted to chase down the duo. The witness said that he was able to identify both men because of the light provided by the motorbike's headlight. The second witness to present evidence to the court also lived near the Lantern Villa project, where Mr Schantz was killed. The witness explained to the court that he heard something break and went outside to investigate. Outside, he was confronted by Mr Soderlund and Mr Ljung. He asked who they were, but jumped out of their way when one of them looked to be pulling "something" from a bag, he said. He confirmed to the court that there had been a scuffle between the men and the first witness. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)

Category: Default

Wat Arun to look as paradise for ceremony

Posted by hasekamp on 4 November 2012
at 10:31 AM
The grounds of Bangkok's Wat Arun are being landscaped to look like paradise - as it is described in Thai literature - in preparation for a special royal krathin ceremony, which will also mark His Majesty's seventh cycle birthday. The temple's assistant abbot, Phra Khru Arun Thammanuwat, said officials were rushing to make the landscape look as if the King, as an avatar of a Hindu god, has come down to earth to present krathin robes to the monks. His Majesty, however, has assigned HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn to represent him at the ceremony, which will mark the end of the Buddhist Lent on November 9. The assistant abbot said flowers and trees will be used to decorate the grounds, and that the buildings and chapel will be repainted and altars will be set up to look like those of Hindu gods. Phra Khru Arun said the 60 senior monks participating in the ceremony would hold rehearsals of prayer chanting on Monday and Wednesday. They will also be trained in how to wear their robes correctly as well as given instructions on holding their monastic ranking fans so the ceremony can be held in line with the ancient tradition. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Expat jumps to his death

Posted by hasekamp on 4 November 2012
at 10:28 AM
Thailand is not a paradise for all expats. A 64-year-old Briton chose to jump to his death yesterday as he waited in vain for help from the British Embassy and his relatives at a Tourist Police office in Phuket. Kenneth Caldwell reportedly ran out of money while vacationing on the popular island for nearly a month. Records show that he arrived in Phuket early last month. Then on October 27, a hotel in Patong alerted police, saying he had failed to pay his room and food bills worth about Bt30,000. Two days later, Phuket Tourist Police moved Caldwell to their office and arranged for him to contact his relatives and the British Embassy. "He was provided with shelter and food while waiting for help," Muang Phuket Police Station inspector Lt-Colonel Anek Mongkhon said yesterday. Witnesses said they saw a foreigner climbing up a radio tower at the Tourist Police office yesterday morning and though police officers tried to talk him down, the man ended up jumping to his death from a height of 15 metres. An autopsy has been conducted on the body and the victim's relatives will be contacted via the embassy. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Chinese Cultural Centre

Posted by hasekamp on 4 November 2012
at 10:28 AM
Zhang Yiming, charge d'affaires at the Chinese Embassy, told reporters at the Thai Journalists Association that the construction of the Chinese Cultural Centre of Thailand was expected to be complete this month. Wen is expected to visit in mid- or late November. Speaking at the opening of a Chinese language course provided for Thai journalists by the association, Zhang emphasised the strong relationship between Thailand and China, especially in the cultural arena. Thailand is home to 22 Confucius Institutes, more than any other country. And 1,278 volunteer language teachers sent by Beijing teach here. This accounts for a third of all such teachers abroad. (Source: The Nation)

Category: Default

Motor helmets in Phuket

Posted by hasekamp on 1 November 2012
at 10:29 AMMore than 15 people die every month in road accidents in Phuket, most riding a motorbike without a helmet. The news came at a road safety awareness seminar at Phuket Rajabhat University on Monday, headed by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavaviwat. Also present at the seminar were Phuket Provincial Health Office Deputy Director Dr Wiwat Seetamonotch and officers from other relevant agencies. "Thailand has among the highest number of road accidents in the world... and Phuket is in the top five for such accidents in Thailand," Gen Choti told his audience of community leaders, lecturers and students. "About 33 to 35 people are injured each day and more than 15 people die each month in road accidents in Phuket. The motorbike riders in those accidents are not wearing helmets," he stressed. Gen Choti explained that Phuket's nationally recognized "100% helmet use" campaign has done much to reduce the death-and-injury road toll on the island, but quickly added that more needed to be done. "Although about 80 per cent of all motorcycle riders in Phuket now tend to be more concerned about their safety and wear helmets while they are riding, many of them still do not follow the traffic laws. Drivers and riders should be more careful and considerate toward other road users too," he said. (Source: The Phuket Gazette)

Category: Default

Some park fees reduced but not for foreigners

Posted by hasekamp on 1 November 2012
at 10:25 AM
Admission fees to 29 national parks have been significantly reduced thanks to an order signed by new Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) chief Rerngchai Prayoonvej.Rerngchai signed documents yesterday cancelling rules set by his predecessor, Damrong Phidej. On September 14, then-DNP chief Damrong ordered that the admission fees to many national parks be increased in order to boost income so the DNP could upgrade the parks in line with national standards. As per Damrong, admission fees to 29 national parks were set at Bt100 per Thai adult, Bt50 per Thai child, Bt500 per foreign adult and Bt300 per foreign child. However, Rerngchai cancelled the order and reverted to the old rate: Bt40 per Thai adult, Bt20 per Thai child, Bt400 per foreign adult and Bt200 per foreign child. The 29 national parks include Mu Koh Angthong in Surat Thani, Mu Koh Similan in Phang Nga, Suthep-Pui in Chiang Mai, Phu Hin Rong Kla in Phitsanulok, Pha Taem in Ubon Ratchathani and Kaeng Krachan in Phetchaburi. (Source: The Nation)